Local historian Ray Freeman, author of two books on the history of Dartmouth, has died aged 99.

Ray’s life in Dartmouth started in 1964 when she moved here and started teaching history in local schools. For many years she was head of the history department at Torquay Girls Grammar School.

Following her retirement from teaching she embarked upon many years of work into Dartmouth history, writing two books and numerous pamphlets.

Her most well known works are ‘Dartmouth, A New History of the Port and its People’ and ‘Dartmouth and its neighbours A History of the Port and its People’. She was active at the town museum and was the founder of the Dartmouth History Research Group which continues to research and publish.

Ray was married to David, an architect who ran a small house building company. She is survived by four children including her youngest son Tim who still lives in Dartmouth.

Ray has been in a residential home since 2017, most recently Lincombe Manor in Torquay.

Sadly in her later years she suffered from dementia meaning she could no longer remember most of the history she worked so hard to uncover. She continued to crochet right to the end and the family have a whole pile of her blankets still in use.